Having read ‘Babel’ and ‘The Poppy War’ trilogy, I was keen to read Rebecca F Kuang’s latest, ‘Yellowface’. Money being tight, I’ve been waiting for the paperback, and I confess that I didn’t say no when I spotted an absolutely mint copy in the local charity shop for 30p. I’m not a monster, I gave them a quid for it, then returned it to another charity bookshelf when I’d finished. I reckon she can afford it. And there we have it, a self published author being ever so slightly envious of a pretty, charismatic, successful young writer. Ahem. So, ‘Yellowface’. It’s funny, witty and a little bit weird at the end. This meta novel about the publishing industry features one of the least self aware narrators I’ve encountered in a long while. Poor Junie is an aspiring writer who has fallen at one of the last hurdles, and is lying in the mud and sulking whilst her luckier friend is galloping to the finish line. Is it luck, or is it a combination of talent, charisma, beauty and ruthlessness that has granted literary stardom to Athena Lui? None of the characters in this book come across as likeable, but it doesn’t stop the reader from being invested in their choices and stories, and even caring for them – they’re still young women in a harsh world that will chew them up and spit them out. I found the book fast paced at first, but it slowed down a little towards the end, giving me time to savour everything that had happened and was going to happen.
I didn’t read much in July, too busy putting my own self published third book out into the world. It’s called Hearts’ Home, and it’s the third book in the Ransomed Hearts trilogy about rock ‘n’ roll werewolves. Enough of that, hopefully you’ll find reviews of those books elsewhere.
My second read of the month was ‘The Fiends in the Furrows III: Final Harvest’ This series has become my go to for introductions to writers of folk horror. ‘Final Harvest’ is the final book in the trilogy, and the last story of the last book is, fittingly, by Tracy Fahey, the queen of body horror and folk horror. At this point, I reckon it should be compulsory to end any horror anthology with a Fahey story. ‘Witchwalking’ doesn’t present anything new or groundbreaking, but it does what it does with breathtaking skill and verve.
OK, now I’ve got over the final story in the book, what of the rest? We kick off with ‘F is for the Farm’ by veteran spec fic writer Steve Rasnic Tem. This story takes folk horror into the city, and is an enjoyable account of a young man getting into all kinds of trouble for the love of a pretty girl. I LOVED Charlie Hughes’ ‘The Motley’ for the whole ‘town council gone bad’ idea and also for the genuinely creepy monster. Thersa Matsura’s ‘Child of the Gods’ is a sad and horrifying story about mother love and sacrifice. Richard Thomas’ ‘The Keeper of the Light’ is a beautifully told story that creeps up on you. A folk horror anthology wouldn’t be the same without a contribution about Appalachia, and Ryan Cassavaugh’s ‘The Last Honeyboy’ serves up a sweet treat set in North Carolina. Fox Claret Hill’s ‘Mrs Badger’s Bones’ is a genuinely nasty piece that I really enjoyed. Matt Elphick takes us to Southern England with ‘Cooper’s Hill’ and a protagonist who clearly has no idea that he’s in a horror story. ‘As the Thing is Needed’ by Damien B Raphael takes us into the past with a story about a refugee child trying to hold on to her history in a hostile world. Dan Coxon’s ‘Come Sing for the Harrowing’ is another story about a clueless protagonist who hasn’t watched enough horror films. ‘Back Yonder’, beautifully written by Melissa A Szydiek, instantly brought to mind ‘Mrs Todd’s Shortcut’ by Stephen King, but that ain’t a bad thing. Rae Knowles follows up with one of my favourite stories in the book, ‘Mulberry Silk’ is a merry tale of a cult with an unusual and very genuine leader. It’s not often that high fashion and folk horror meet, but Knowles has nailed it. Coy Hall’s ‘Herald of the Red Hen’ feels like it’s part of a bigger story, and has strong fantasy elements. ‘The Gods that Drift with Us’ by Zachary Rosenberg is a delicious tale of revenge, and one of my stand out stories of the anthology. J.M Faulkner’s ‘Radegast’ has nothing to do with Radagast the Brown, but is a story about a Slavic god and a return to the homeland by two brothers. Die Booth’s ‘Paper Coins’ take us to Wales, and a rugged landscape that hides its own secrets. I have a bit of a soft spot for all things Welsh, so this story leapt out at me. Catherine McCarthy’s ‘The Sickle and the Tithe’ keeps us in Wales with a traditional folk horror tale of sacrifice and good harvests. I loved it for the gradual change of the protagonist’s emotions over the course of the story and her life. Timothy Granville’s ‘Sarsen Wood’ makes no bones about the morality of the group of kids at the heart of his story, and there is no merciful bliss here for the sacrifice. Alex Wolfgang’s ‘Malleability’ has a sf feel to it, it’s certainly not set on this planet, but it still has strong and dreamlike folk horror vibes, I loved it. And here we are, end of the book, with a Tracy Fahey story to finish off with. Did I say that you should always save the best until last?
My bedtime reading, which I finished on the 2nd August but I’ll cheat and put my thoughts in here, was Marc Burrows’ ‘The Magic of Terry Pratchett’.
This book was so obviously written by a fan, the love of its subject absolutely shines through.
I don’t read many biographies, but I have read a lot of Pratchett, and have also read (and loved) Marc Burrows’ book about Manic Street Preachers, so this was an obvious pick for me. This chronicle of Sir Terry’s life and death, his books, his campaigning and his philosophy is written with love, respect and generosity. It acknowledges fully the importance of the people around him, especially his parents, wife and daughter, and draws parallels between Pratchett’s own life and surroundings, and the events and landscapes of his stories.
If you like Pratchett, you’ll probably like this.